


Slice of Tokyo

by Raoutanel



Series: Slice of Tokyo [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5 sequel, persona - Freeform, persona 5 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23497738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raoutanel/pseuds/Raoutanel
Summary: This is a slice of life fanfic meant to be light-hearted with a few serious moments. It takes place after Ren is released from jail and categorizes the regular lives of the former Phantom Thieves. It takes place in a modified Persona 5 (vanilla) timeline) but with some changes.Expect a few OC minor characters and some crossover with Persona 4 and maybe Persona 3.
Series: Slice of Tokyo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690720
Kudos: 8





	1. First Night Back

"Uno! Take that Takamaki!"

"Not so fast Ryuji, here's a Draw 4 card for you" 

"Goddamit Ann, you're making this unfair!"

It had been a few hours since Ren Amamiya returned from jail. To celebrate, him and his friends: The former Phantom Thieves were having a sleepover complete with games. Currently, they were engaged in a tough game of Uno. Well, most of them were. Haru and Futaba were playing with Morgana.

"And with that I win, thanks Ann." replied Makoto winning with a Yellow 3. 

"This ain't cool Makoto and you know it!" yelped Ryuji as he threw his cards into the air. The blonde Shujin student then proceeded to turn his backs on the group in mild arrogance.

"Come on Ryuji, we can play something else" said Ren as he put everyone's cards back into the pack "How about truth or dare?"

"Oooh count me in!" shouted Futaba as she and Haru made their way to the rest of the group with Morgana in tow. They didn't have to worry about Sojiro, he had closed up shop for the night and went back home.

"While I haven't played truth or dare for a long time, I am interested in finding out everyone's secrets and picturing their memories in my mind" said Yusuke in a calm voice as he too, made his way to the group.

Morgana was first to start as the cat made himself comfortable. "Truth or dare Ryuji?"

"Truth, I'm no pussy." replied Ryuji.

"Do you have a crush on Ann?" asked Morgana as Ann scooted a little bit away from Ryuji.

"Dare! Dare!" he exclaimed as the group burst into mild laughter.

"Tell us the truth Sakamoto" said Ren as he tried to contain his laughter.

"I'm out of here, gotta need some frickin fresh air after this" muttered Ryuji who went downstairs to the cafe.

"Ok your turn Futaba. Truth or dare?" said Haru.

"Dare"

"I dare you to...prank call Sojiro!"

"That's not a dare, I do it on a regular basis! But sure whatever" replied Futaba as she excitedly tapped her phone to prank call her adoptive father.

There was a moment of tense silence where Ryuji came back as well. After what seemed like years, Sojiro picked up. 

"Hey, wanna get some good stuff for cheap prices?" whispered Futaba in a faux Gangstar accent.

Another moment of silence followed. Sojiro seemingly picked up as Futaba put her phone down. "Welp, I guess he doesn't want expensive coffee beans!" she laughed. 

Soft laughter followed.

"Ok Ren, truth or dare?"

"Dare, there's nothing you can do that I'm not wil-"

"Infiltrate Sojiro's bedroom and hide in it."

Dead silence followed, nobody moved or even blinked. Then Ren spoke up 

"A dare's a dare." as he proceeded to rush downstairs

"WHAT THE FUCK BRO"

"CEASE YOUR ACTIONS REN"

"REN IF YOU BREAK INTO SOJIRO"S HOUSE WE ARE DONE"

"THINK ABOUT YOUR PROBATION"

"YOU HAVE SO MANY YEARS IN FRONT OF YOU DON'T WASTE IT ON A STUPID DARE!"

"Fine fine" said Futaba just as Ren was about to bolt for Sojiro's house. "I rescind the dare. BUT, you have to-"

Futaba was cut off by Sojiro who had arrived on short notice just to check up on the teens. He had heard everything from outside and was playfully annoyed. 

"Hoo Boy" Sojiro said as he shooked his head. "That's enough Truth or Dare for tonight kids. You better play something else, something...tamer"

As the group returned to the attic, they succumbed to laughter. All except Makoto who was more annoyed at Ren than the others which was understandable given how they were dating. The former leader of the Phantom Thieves then received an earful. 

After laughing for a few minutes, the group decided to watch a film on Futaba's laptop while Yusuke and Haru went down to buy snacks.

"We should watch The Dark Knight, cause it features our leader: Joker!" laughed Ryuji.

"It's the Joker not Joker." laughed Ann in response.

"How about we watch Hankyu Railways? It's a delightful film." asked Makoto who had finished scolding Ren.

"Maybe we should watch a Neo Featherman film? There's plenty online" said Futaba holding her phone.

"Nah, those all suck anyways" said Ren and Ryuji unanimously.

"Aw come on, even Neo Featherman Z Corps?" whined Futaba.

"Especially that one." said Ren.

"Unfair's a good film." suggested Makoto "It's a police film after all"

"I think it should be up to Ren to decide it. After all, it's his celebration" said Morgana.

"Unfair's fine. I haven't watched it but I might enjoy it though." replied Ren.

Yusuke and Haru soon returned with snacks just in time for the movie to start. Unfortunately, the film's quality wasn't very good so they decided to watch The Dark Knight anyways. After the film was over, the group played some card games before going to bed.

In the morning, Yusuke was the first to wake up followed shortly by Makoto. "I wanted to picture the Yongenjaya Sunrise" said Yusuke as he stared through the window at the morning sun. Makoto on the other hand tried to wake Ren and the others up with no avail. 

Ren didn't care if he woke up later or early. Heck, he didn't even care if the movies they watched last night were bad. What was important was that he was back with his friends, safe inside Cafe Leblanc.


	2. Return to Shujin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren discovers that Shujin has changed

It was Ren's first day back at Shujin. By then, the cases of him and the Phantom Thieves had become well known across the country especially in Tokyo. He was pretty sure everyone in the city knew his name now: as a victim of the corrupt system. As such, the main student body of Shujin had stopped calling and treating him as a criminal. Rather, they suspected him to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

As Ren and his friends entered the gates of the school, whispers from other students followed the group like predator to prey.

"Holy shit he's back"

"Probably hates us now because of how we treated him"

"Did you hear that he may be the leader of the Phantom Thieves?"

"May? He's definitely their leader!"

"Damn, poor kid must have been through a lot in prison"

"So he was innocent....wow"

"He's a hero! A god to all men!"

"Amamiya's got serious guts man, balls of fucking steel"

"Honestly? I'm kinda scared of him"

"No wonder he has that cat"

Morgana hissed at the more nosy ones as the group made their way to their classrooms. Ren quietly told the cat to be quiet as to not arose suspicion. As they entered the classroom, Ren discovered that his seat had been changed. Now, Ryuji was sitting behind him with Mishima to the right. Ann was of course, still in front of him.

"You better make the most of this month bro, it's your last month in Tokyo" said Ryuji who plopped himself down comfortably. 

"About that..." replied Ren "I've talked to my parents and the school board as well. They said that I could stay here to complete my 3rd year"

"That's frickin awesome dude!" yelped Ryuji as Ann and Mishima turned their heads to the duo.

"Glad you could be with us!"

"We're gonna do so much that you'll never forget your last year here!"

Ren smiled and laughed:"Well I'm probably gonna stay in Tokyo for university and probably for my entire life. Unless my future career de-" he was then suddenly interrupted by the class's homeroom teacher Sadayo Kawakami who had just arrived. Whispers arose again with suspicions that Kawakami assisted the Phantom Thieves.

Throughout the day, the former Phantom Thieves were surrounded by whispers. A few brave souls went to Ren and asked him a few questions which he ignored save for one. 

"Excuse me? Can you tell me what was the Chemistry homework again?"

"Oh uh...it was to do Pages 172 to 179"

"Thanks dude" the student rushed off presumably to hang with his group.

"Man these rumors are terrible! I don't want to be treated like I'm a god to them" said Ren to his friends.

"Get used to it, they're not gonna die down for a while" said Makoto who had joined the group along with Haru.

"I guess..."

Along with Mishima, the former Phantom Thieves headed up to the rooftop area. There weren't a lot of students there as many students disliked the smell of the rooftop. Ren and his friends didn't mind though, it was some peace and quiet after all.

"So you're staying for one more year, that's great to hear!" yelped Haru.

"Yeah. But I guess that means I have to berated with all these rumors" replied Ren "Still, I prefer Tokyo over my hometown any day"

Nearby, a few students had gathered presumably to eavesdrop on the group while eating their lunch. Ryuji spotted them and angrily replied 

"We ain't animals y'know? Stop staring at us like we are!" 

His loud voice was enough to convince the students to stop stalking and focus on themselves.

"You know I could have stared at them until they left" said Ren as he opened his lunch.

"Yeah but I'm here for you bro, nothing will change that" replied Ryuji. "So Ann, tell me about your latest.."


	3. Exploration of the Deep Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know I've always wondered how the Investigation Team reacted to the Phantom Thieves

It had been well known to Ren and the rest of the Phantom Thieves that Futaba was an expert at navigating the Deep Web. Unlike certain others who used the Deep Web, Futaba was more interested at finding out more about conspiracies.

"Hey Ren, check this out" said Futaba seemingly intrigued by something she found.

Ren had just finished washing the dishes and made his way over to the tables. "Yeah what is it? Did you find more furry hentai again?" 

"It was one time Ren, one time!" shouted Futaba "Anyways, I found this website talking more in depth about the 2011 Inaba Murders" 

"Oh..I remember that. I was 11 back then." said Ren sitting himself down next to his adoptive sister. "It was all over the news. Rumors in my town spread that the murderer would strike our town next. Of course that never happened but still..."

"Item Found! Says here that while only 2 people were actually murdered. 4 people were kidnapped without a trace but later reappeared safe and sound."

"What are you getting at ex-" he was cut off by Futaba who seemingly found more vital information. "And get this, the victims were all shown on television before they were murdered or kidnapped. Presumably, the guy who kidnapped them always bought them into a place with a tv before they disappeared" 

"You think he put them in the Metaverse?" asked Ren. Futaba shook her head "I don't know...I mean phones weren't as easy to use back then and the Metaverse has seemingly existed for a long time. Besides, when we went into Mementos, we only explored what seemed to be the Tokyo part of it. I suspect there's more. Kind of like dungeons in rpgs, you think you've explored all of them but surprise surprise, there's more." 

Seemingly astonished, Ren asked Futaba again:"Can you dig up any more information on anyone who may have stopped the murders? "

After a short while of scrolling, Futaba found something:"Says here it was probably a bunch of high school students and get this, just before the victims reappeared, the group always entered a place with a television. Spooky." 

"What are you getting at exactly?" asked Ren "Are you saying that they're Persona users?" 

There was a dead silence in the cafe as Futaba pondered that thought. 

"Yes" she finally spoke up "Yes, I think they are. Did the creepy old man-uh, what was his name again?"

"Igor. His name was Igor."

"Ah yes, Igor. Did he say anything about any more Persona users?"

Ren stopped to think about it before speaking up again:"He said that there were more before us and that I wasn't even the only wildcard user." 

"Should we tell the others? This can be vital information." Futaba replied.

Ren fell into deep thought. "I guess. No use hiding secrets anyways.

Meanwhile in Inaba

23 year old Yu Narukami was having a nice regular dinner with his friends in a small restaurant: the former Investigation Team who had stopped the murders in Inaba 6 years ago. Well some of them were there, Naoto and Rise were somewhere else in Japan while Yukiko had to manage the Amagi Inn. 

"Hey Yu, did you ever ask Igor about what happened on Christmas Eve?" asked his friend Yosuke as their other friend Chie was making her way through a large beef bowl.

"Igor provided little information. He said something along the lines of another group of Persona users and that there was something more powerful that Izanami." replied Yu. 

"So it's confirmed that the Phantom Thieves are Persona users" asked Kanji who had just finished his meal.

"I didn't say that, it's a hypothesis after all. Igor hasn't contacted me since then. Marie hasn't received any new information since Christmas Eve. Still though, it's very likely."

"Dude, should we start asking them on their so called Phan-Site? Maybe start with some simple questions? Should be alright."

"I guess. But we can't do things too hastily, we need to gain their trust first."


	4. The Bathing of Morgana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's a cat no matter what

Even though he was considered a housecat, Morgana had always exhibited more attributes of wild cats than pet ones. Naturally, the cat would soon start to stink and at Sojiro's request, Ren had to give him a bath. 

Well he wasn't alone, the rest of the Phantom Thieves had come to help too as they all knew how feisty Morgana could be.

"Leave me alone! I can lick myself clean!" yelped Morgana as Ren scooped him up to the tub in the middle of the room. 

"Your stench is enough to make me vomit. Now come along and be a good cat" said Makoto who was making sure Morgana didn't scratch Ren.

"Come on, it'll be fun! You'll be sparkly clean and smelling nice!" exclaimed Haru who was in charge of the soap.

With Yusuke's help, Morgana was lowered into the bathtub. He tried to get up but Ryuji and Ann blocked his escape.

"Not this time you effin cat, you seriously need a bath!" shouted Ryuji who was in a fight with the escape wishing cat.

Eventually, Morgana settled down and soon allowed himself to be washed. It proved to be more difficult though. He didn't want shampoo on his bottom or his tail and would bite whoever tried to clean his face.

"Morgana this is for your own good. Now do you want to impress Ann?" asked Ren. This led to Ann blushing furiously.

"Ren!" 

"Sorry, gotta make sure this cat is clean."

Morgana then allowed the teens to wash him gently. But as soon as it was over, he made a bolt for it. Ryuji and Futaba tried to catch him with no avail as he escaped quickly through the window narrowly escaping Yusuke's grasps.

"He'll come back, I think." said a disappointed Futaba.

Nevertheless, the group decided to head down to look for Morgana. They didn't have to look far. Morgana was cornered by a few dogs nearby.

"Scram! Scram!" shouted Ann as the dogs held their ground.

"Dude, don't you know anything about dogs?" said Ryuji as he rummaged through his bag to find some dried beef snacks. He threw 2 or 3 pieces their way and the dogs were distracted. Quickly, Ren and Makoto grabbed Morgana and made a beeline for the attic.

"Great, we've gotta clean him again." grumbled Ren as everyone else got into their positions. This time however, everyone surrounded the tub preventing the cat's escape.

Once it was done, Morgana was forcefully cleaned by all of the group. It turned out to be easier to be expected mainly due to Ren's stern glare which was probably a result of their adventures in the Metaverse.

Soon, Sojiro came through the door to open up shop for the evening to find a bunch of exhausted teens and one very clean but grumpy feline. Astonished at how tired the Phantom Thieves were, he questioned them what happened.

"Morgana happened."said a tired Ren pointing to the cat.


	5. Fool, Chariot and Emperor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a day of banter with the boys of the Phantom Thieves.

It was 11pm, Yongenjaya had fallen silent. Sojiro had already locked up shop for the night and was getting ready for the night. However, Ren was not, he was still texting with Ryuji and Yusuke. It wasn't a school night so it didn't matter.

<p>Ryuji: Yo, I heard there's a new restaurant in Ikebukuro. You guys wanna come? I haven't been there in a while.

Ren: I've only been there a few times too. So yeah, it'll be nice. 

Yusuke: While I pass by the area every day, it would be a pleasure to accompany you.

Ryuji: Aw yeah boys night!

Yusuke: It's during the afternoon.

Ryuji: Right, right. Just don't tell the others right? Especially Makoto. Looking at you Ren.

Ren: Why not?

Ryuji: Look I'm not exactly an ace student, and if she knows, she's gonna yell at me for not caring about my studies. Got it?

Yusuke; You know, she's just doing it for your own good.

Ryuji: C'mon man, not cool.

Yusuke: Makoto just wants you to succeed.

Ryuji: Ren? Back me up here please?

Ren: Sorry bro, Yusuke's got a point.

Ryuji: Dude.

Ren smiled as he switched off his phone to go to bed. Meanwhile, Morgana was still attempting to catch a small bug that had been displeasing him. It wasn't going well.

The next day

Ikebukuro Station may be one of the busiest railway stations in the world and Japan, but Yusuke stood out like a colored sheep in a flock. Mainly due to his height and posture, unnatural for a Japanese teenager.

"Where's Ren? He's late!" yelped Ryuji as he and Yusuke waited at the entrance of Ikebukuro Station.

"Ryuji, you must have patience for our friend. That being said, I am quite worried about him." said Yusuke.

"Hey guys sorry I'm late" gasped Ren having ran from the platforms. Morgana was with him as usual. Unusually however, the cat was sleeping."There was a delay on the Yamonate Line. And Morgana had a rough night so he's sleeping right now."

"Its fine dude, glad you can make it." smiled Ryuji.

"So Ryuji, where is the restaurant?" asked Yusuke.

"Oh uh, it's right there!"he pointed to a restaurant across the road. In front of it was a very long line.

"It seems like in your excitement, you forgot to check on the restaurant." pondered Yusuke.

"Shut up"

"Is there anywhere else we can go, cause I'm not waiting that long." said Ren."But if there's takeout we can bring them to Ueno Park. We can catch the train to get there."

"I think there is" Ryuji responded whilst pointing to a shorter line in front of the same restaurant. "Shouldn't take too long."

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long as they got their lunchboxes and headed on the train to Ueno Park. Thankfully, there were no more delays on the line. Ryuji tried to wake Morgana up only to get clawed at as the cat went back to his beauty sleep. When they got to the park, they sat themselves down on some benches next to a lotus pond as Yusuke appreciated the beauty of the pond. By then, Morgana had already woken up.

"Marvelous! Simply Marvelous! If only I had my canvas and my brushes, I could picture the essence of peace!" exclaimed Yusuke. Ryuji, Ren and Morgana (who had just woken up) stared at Yusuke as he went on and on about the beauty of the water.

He's a weirdo if I'm being honest." whispered Ryuji as he opened his lunchbox. 

That's ironic coming from you Ryuji" laughed Morgana as Ren fed him some pieces of chicken.

Dude! Leave me alone!" shouted Ryuji alerting an elderly couple nearby. "Sorry" he replied.

"Youngsters these days" mumbled the old man as him and his wife hobbled away.

Once Yusuke had finished gazing, Ryuji and Ren were already done with their meals. "You go on without me, I might want to appreciate the trees." said Yusuke as the two walked to the trash can to throw away their food.

"You know bro, this feeling's pretty nice. No rotten adults, no god of control, no school, no Mak-"Ryuji's sentence was suddenly cut short as he spotted Makoto and Haru coming towards them.

Oh shit Ren, gotta go! Nice hanging out with ya!" shouted Ryuji as he ran at the speed of light. Ren turned to the two and smiled:"Guess he's Makotophobic."

"Stop teasing me." laughed Makoto as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Aw, you two are so adorable!" said Haru as she sat down."Where's Yusuke? Did he come with you guys?"

Yeah he's right th-"Ren stopped midway through his sentence as he saw Yusuke over the fence and waddling into the pond.

"HOLY SHIT YUSUKE STOP"shouted Ren as Makoto followed in tow. Haru was headed for park security to ask for help.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS YUSUKE" shouted Makoto. 

Thankfully, a park officer helped get Yusuke out of the pond. After a quick health check, Yusuke was let off with a warning.

"Never, do that again." warned Makoto as Yusuke came out of the bathroom wearing with a new set of clothes provided by park security.

"I was appreciating the beauty of the pond. Was that so wrong?" said Yusuke. "By the way, where's Ryuji?'

"He ran away after seeing Makoto." laughed Haru "Ren said that he's Makotophobic."

"Speaking of the devil, isn't he there?" said Makoto as she spotted Ryuji nearby. The blonde noticed her and quickly ran away.

"OH YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASILY" shouted an angry Makoto as she ran in Ryuji's direction.

"REN? YUSUKE? HARU? SAVE ME!"

"Sorry Ryuji, Makoto's my girlfriend. And because of the Dating Code, I have to respect her wishes."

"WHAT ABOUT THE BRO CODE"

"Invalid." replied Ren as he joined Makoto in the chase for Ryuji. 


	6. Sunday Texts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some texts between Ren and his friends

Now that Ren was staying in Tokyo for good, he didn't have to spend each day outside. In fact, he'll rather spend Sunday inside. Catching up on his studies, doing some homework, helping Sojiro in the cafe etc. But the best activity for him indoors was texting his friends.

As soon as he finished his revision, he went up onto his bed (which thankfully was unoccupied by Morgana who was sleeping on the desk) and started texting the rest of the Phantom Thieves. 

Ren: Ann, you're with Ryuji right?

Ann: Don't assume that! I could be hanging with other people y'know: Shiho, Makoto, heck, maybe I could be hanging out with Yusuke!

Yusuke: You say that like you mildly despise me.

Ann: Shut up Yusuke.

Ann: Anyways to answer your question, yes. I am hanging out with Ryuji. What do you want?

Ren: Send me a picture of him.

Ann: *sends a picture of Ryuji flopped over on the sofa*.

Ren: Very handsome.

Makoto: I am here you know.

Ren: Sorry.

Makoto; You're a big idiot.

Ann: Ren please.

Yusuke: I must say, this truly is an amazing example of human anatomy

Futaba: Shut up Inari

Yusuke: I don't recall asking for your opinion

Futaba: :(

Makoto: Here we go again..

Just as Ren was about to text something back, Sojiro called Ren downstairs.

"Ren? Yoshida's here and he wants to talk to you!"

Toranosuke Yoshida was a semi-regular of Cafe Leblanc. He had helped Ren improve his public speaking skills and political knowledge back when Ren was a Phantom Thief so the two were very friendly with each other. When Ren got downstairs, Yoshida welcomed him warmly.

"Welcome Ren! I'm glad you're at the cafe today."

"Hi Yoshida, what's the matter?" replied Ren.

"Well, I have good news to report. Shido's trials along with those of his accomplices will formally start tomorrow!"

"That's great news Toranosuke! I'll imagine Tokyo would be excited to hear this."

"And so will the rest of Japan." said Sojiro as he leaned slightly out of the counter. "Ren, have you been keeping with the news? A recent popularity poll has shown that support for Shido's permanent imprisonment has risen to 96%." 

"Of course of course Sojiro." smiled Yoshida. "Not only that but we've managed to hunt down all the leaders and almost all the groups involved with Shido. There are still a few hidden cells but I think we can bring them to justice very soon."

"I'm really glad that you're helping lead a new Diet Yoshida." beemed Ren as he got out his phone to text his friends about the news. Meanwhile, Yoshida was still talking with Sojiro while enjoying a nice cup of Blue Mountain.

Ren: Guys!

Ann: What? If you want more Ryuji pics I'm not giving them to you.

Ren: Well I want more but this is about something else.

Futaba: Spill the beans Ren.

Ren: Shido's trials start tomorrow! And his cronies are gonna face trials too. 

Yusuke: Finally

Haru: Yes!

Ann: This is amazing. That asshole finally gets what he deserves!

Makoto: I heard from Sae a few days beforehand, how did you get this information?

Ren: Yoshida. He's in the cafe now and told me and Sojiro about this.

Futaba: *sends crabraveshido.mp4*

Futaba: I had this ready for a while.

Yusuke: Since when?

Futaba: Since Ren came back.

Yusuke: I admire your dedication.

Ann: I told Ryuji about it. He's happy as well. He wishes he can text but he can't reach his phone.

Makoto: Classic Ryuji

Ann: He responded by flipping you off.

Makoto: Lecture him about it.

Ann: He responded by flipping you off again.

Haru: Now that justice has prevailed, it's a new era for our government. I can sense great changes in the government.

Yusuke: Agreed. But it will most likely take a lot of time, probably a few years at least.

Ren: Yoshida said that he's now helping lead a new Diet.

Makoto: Hey Ren, ask Yoshida how long he thinks the trials will take.

Ren looked up from his phone, thankfully Yoshida was still there.

"So Yoshida, how long do you think the trials will take?"

At year, at least. By then, we should have gathered all of Shido's allies."

Ren went back to his phone.

Ren: He says a year. 

Makoto: That's not too out of the ordinary.

Makoto: If anything, it's a good sign. 

Haru: I just hope those criminals are bought to justice!

Ren smiled. The man that had caused him to be separated from his family, his hometown while also making his first few weeks at Shujin a nightmare was finally about to be punished. However, the probation was also a blessing. If he hadn't interfered in the assault all those months ago, he wouldn't have met his good friends here in Tokyo.


	7. Unexpected Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I always felt like that there had to be some sensible people in Shujin that had the capability of "breaking free of society" beside the Phantom Thieves.

Rumors and whispers filled the hallways of Shujin Academy. The elitist school was previously only famous for its sports team records and elitist students. Now it was famous or infamous (according to some folks) as the place where the first case of the Phantom Thieves took place. Despite no real confirmation, it was likely to people in and out of the high school that most if not all of the Phantom Thieves were Shujin students.

The former Phantom Thieves didn't like this one bit. It was one thing to be ignored or hated by the student body, it was another to be treated like gods. Sure they may have saved the planet from a false god but at the end of the day, they were human beings (and one cat).

Luckily for Ren, he had still been top of his class despite his imprisonment. Within a week and a half, he had risen to one of the smartest 2nd year students at Shujin. This was proven with the first biology test.

"Sakamoto Ryuji, 55" said Mr.Hiruta. Although Ryuji was still in the lower half of the class in terms of grades, he was gradually becoming better at his studies.

"Takamaki Ann, 68"

"Mishima Yuuki, 73"

"Amamiya Ren, 96. Congratulations." said Mr.Hiruta as he gave Ren his paper back. 

"Well done Ren, you're back on track" whispered Morgana from the desk.

"Wow Ren, I can't believe you got so high! You're a mastermind!" said Mishima as class finished for lunch.

"Hey! You got 73, that ain't bad. I only got 68." sulked Ann.

"68? I got only 55! How is that bad?" shouted Ryuji alerting the other students "Sorry".

"Ryuji, you've got to work on your self-awareness..and Biology." said Ren as he patted his friend on the back. Come on, we've got to meet Makoto and Haru.

The four (along with Morgana) headed upstairs to the rooftop where they usually hanged out. There, Makoto and Haru were waiting for them. As they opened their lunchboxes, they noticed a bunch of students doing weird poses nearby.

"Who are they?" said Ryuji munching on his Teppayaki. 

"Drama Club, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them." said Makoto as she opened her lunchbox "They're well known for well...unpopular."

"Wish I was them to be honest, then I wouldn't be berated with rumors every day" mumbled Ren as he ate his curry.

"But to be honest, they're not staring at us so that's good." said Ann.

"Wise words from you Lady Ann" replied Morgana as he got out of his bag to stretch. Unbeknownst to the cat, he had alerted the Drama Club over. Instantly, he yelped and went back into Ren's bag.

"Aww, is that your cat? She's so cute!" said a female student seemingly the leader.

"Thanks but it's a he." replied Ren who hadn't made eye contact with them. The others were also focused on their meals except Haru who greeted them cheerfully.

"I guess that makes sense why you would ignore us. All those rumors must be tough right?" said a male student.

"Yeah, I guess so." replied Ryuji now making some eye contact.

"Honestly I would rather be you guys, unnoticed by the student body, able to hang out in peace.." said Ann who was making full eye contact.

"Well that makes sense even if you weren't the Phantom Thieves. To be honest, Phantom Thieves or not, you're always welcome to be with us." said another female student.

"Thanks. Who are you anyways?" said Mishima who had been quiet the entire time.

"Well as you know, we're the drama club. I'm Mikami Chiyoko, the boy next to me is Ishihara Raiden, the girl that said you were welcome with us is Sano Mieko and that boy behind me is Asato Daisuke. 

"Nice to meet you guys" said Asato. "You know, you're the first group that hasn't chased us off."

"And why is that?" asked Makoto.

"Well we're known for being very extroverted and as you know, most Shujin students especially the popular ones pick on those that stand out." groaned Sano.

Ryuji looked at Ann, both of them had gone through similar experiences. These students did seem different to them, they treated the group as equals, as humans. 

"Thanks, it actually means a lot!" said Ann. "I'm Ann Takamaki, the blonde one next to me is Ryuji Sakamoto. The guy in the back is Yuuki Mishima, next to him is Makoto Nijimura who is dating the guy next to her: Ren Amamiya. Oh and next to him is Haru Okumura." 

"Amamiya eh?" said Mikami "The whole school used to hate you and now they're treating you like a god, not exactly ideal right?" she laughed. "I know that feeling. In the hallways we're scum, but on stage we're kings. It gets old after a while." 

"Besides, I like you guys. Ever since rumors broke out about you guys possibly being the Phantom Thieves, you haven't raised a fist at anyone. I admire your resilience" said Ishihara as he leaned on a disused desk. 

Morgana whispered in Ren's ears "I think you guys might be forming new friendships." as he lay back down in the bag. 

"So Mikami, what do you thi.." The two groups chatted all of lunchtime, by the end, both sides felt like they were comfortable with each other. Obviously the former Phantom Thieves (and Mishima) weren't used to it, they had always been close to each other and almost no one else. But seeing what happened today, the group felt like that future friendships could still be formed at Shujin.

Later that day...

Ann: Guys! Guess what happened today!

Makoto: Most people here go to Shujin, so only Futaba and Yusuke have no idea.

Haru: Don't fret Makoto, I'll explain to them. So basically we formally met the drama club and they're pretty cool people.

Yusuke: That's great news but I worry you would expose the secrets of our secret identities to them.

Ryuji: Most of the school knows man, or at least they think we are. 

Futaba: So what you guys did was basically recruiting party members like in Water Emblem?

Haru: What's Water Emblem?

Yusuke: I believe it's a role playing tactic game. Right up your alley Futaba.

Makoto: I'm surprised you know what those games are.

Yusuke: One of the students that lives near my dorms keeps talking about it. I've eavesdropped on his conversations.

Ann: Isn't that kinda creepy?

Futaba: Ah Yusuke, I see you're a man of culture as well.

Yusuke; I am very cultured Futaba. Thank you for the compliment. As for Ann, it's not as creepy as you think.

Makoto: It is.

Ann: It is.

Haru: It is.

Ryuji: It is.

Yusuke: Fine, then I shall cease this activity.

Haru: Thank you.

Ann: By the way where's Ren? Has anyone seen him?

Makoto: Good question. We went to a bookstore afterschool and the last time we saw each other was at the station.

Ryuji: Maybe he went to get some love medicine to surprise Makoto from that clinci.

Makoto: That was not needed Ryuji.

Ryuji: Sorry Makoto.

Ann: Anyways, where's Ren?

Futaba: Just checked in on Ren, Morgana forced him to sleep tonight.

Ryuji: It's only 9pm though.

Futaba: This is Morgana we're talking about.

Ryuji: Right, right.

Futaba switched off her phone and went up to the attic. Ren was in fact not asleep and still awake. In fact, this was a ploy so the two adoptive siblings could play some Super Brawl Brothers. It was nice being with her adoptive brother.


	8. Do you Remember?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I believe that Ren's parents were good. We just don't see their conversations because the game skips over all the mundane stuff. Also I like to think he still had some allies back home.

"Can I ask a question?" said Makoto to her boyfriend Ren as they were walking to the station from school. They had been dating for a while yet she couldn't understand her boyfriend completely nor did she know a lot about his hometown. All she knew was that his family knew he was innocent but had to keep quiet, he was from Hekinan near Nagoya, he had kept minimal contact with a few friends back home (although it was infrequent) and that Sojiro knew his parents. "Sure" replied Ren. "Can you tell me a little bit more about your past?" asked Makoto. Ren hesitated for a little bit then spoke up again:"What do you want to know?" "How did you manage to get into Shujin? I mean it's a pretty elite school." Ren smiled at his girlfriend, then he began to tell the story of how he got into Shujin.

A year ago...

"So basically, you're gonna live with a friend of ours: Sojiro Sakura." said Ren's father. Despite his stern appearance, he cared deeply for his son and believed he was innocent.

"Do you remember Cafe Leblanc?" asked Ren's mother. She too believed Ren was innocent but couldn't do anything due to Shido's lawyers.

"Isn't that small cafe in western Tokyo?" replied Ren who was packing his bag.

"Yes! That cafe is owned by Sojiro and he agreed that you can live with him for your probation." said Ren's father.

Ren stopped packing his bag and looked at his parents.

"Mom, dad, I'm sorry." he spoke as he fought back tears.

"Son.." Ren's father stammered :"You're gonna turn 18 soon, you've got to be strong. For me and your mother's sake."

"And you've done nothing wrong. But we can't fight the system. We'll try to help you as much as you can."

"It's just for one year. Remember, if you need anything, just text us and we'll try to help you." 

Ren looked at his parents and gave them a big hug.

"But what about school? No school's gonna accept a fucked up kid like me!" mumbled Ren. He rarely swore since his parents didn't like it, but this time, his parents didn't mind.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Your aunt helped pull some strings and she was able to get you into a good school in Tokyo."

"It's called Shujin, it's a wonderful school."

Ren left their embrace as he stood back.

"Thank you, thank you for doing this for me."

He went back to packing his bag.

Back in the present..

"So that's it. I said goodbye to the few friends I still had along with my parents then left Hekinan." Ren said to Makoto. They were now on the subway. "Funny thing is, I now consider this home more than Hekinan."

Makoto looked at her boyfriend:"Did they ever send anything to you?"

Ren's smile wavered "They couldn't. Shido decided to secretly amend the probation guidelines and make sure that aside from money, I didn't get anything.

"That just makes me hate Shido more, glad his trial has begun." replied Makoto. "So who do you know that's still on your side back in Hekinan?"

Ren pondered for a while then replied:"Some of my close friends, one or two teachers, close friends of the family and a few others."

"Do you plan on telling them you were a phantom thief?"

"Most of them have suspicions already, but I don't plan on telling anyone except for maybe my parents. When we go back in March, I plan to tell them there in person."


	9. Spice in your Life

Makoto Nijima didn't like pranks. Although most of the Phantom Thieves enjoyed them, she hated them. As such, the others made sure to avoid pranking her even her boyfriend Ren. Well that and she was after all the Shujin student council president. But just this once, she wanted to prank the rest of the gang. It was time to try something new.

On a nice February Friday night, she told Ren her plan.

Makoto: Hey Ren, u up?

Ren: Yeah. Just finished helping Sojiro close up shop.

Makoto: Nice.

Makoto: So I want to prank the rest of the gang.

Ren: Wait wait wait, is this Makoto Nijima or an alien that has possessed her.

Makoto: No!

Ren: Suspicious...

Makoto: Stop it!  
  
Ren: Kidding, kidding.

Ren: So what's your plan?

Makoto: So you know Cayenne peppers right?

Ren: Oh, the really spicy ones right? Sojiro rarely uses them.

Makoto: Well they're not the spiciest peppers out there but they're pretty spicy.

Makoto: So I was thinking we put them in some curry and then serve them to the others.

Ren: That's a brilliant and terrifying plan. Should we tell Haru about it?

Makoto: Why Haru?

Ren: Well a) she'll probably figure it out and b) maybe she can help us find those peppers.

Makoto: Good point. Let's tell her.

Ren: Alright seeya.

Makoto: Seeya.

Ren smiled as he told Haru about the plan right after his chat with Makoto. Haru agreed to the plan under the condition that they buy a lot of milk.

Ren: Milk? Why?

Haru: They help ease the pain of the spiciness.

Ren: But wouldn't that defeat the purporse?

Haru: Would you rather have vomit all over the floor?

Ren: Good point.

When the day had come, both Makoto and Haru made sure to come extra early. Thankfully, Sojiro was out running errands so they had the kitchen to themselves. As Morgana plopped himself on the far side of the counter, the three began to cook. 7 servings of what seemed like normal looking curry: potatoes, pork, curry sauce, rice, carrots and onions. But what wasn't normal was the secret ingredient in four of those dishes: Cayenne Powder which Haru had grounded for them. 

As the finishing touches were made to the curry, Yusuke, Ryuji, Ann and Futaba came into the cafe ready for what they assumed was a nice curry lunch. They sat themselves down and got ready for their meal as Ren and Makoto bought the curry out.

"Eat up guys, we've been trying a new recipe and we want you guys to try it." said Ren as he plopped the dishes onto the table.

"Mmhmm looks delish!" said Ann.

"Oh yeah! Thanks Ren!" agreed Ryuji as he smiled cheerfully.

"This curry must be a work of art. The potatoes carefully placed next to the carrots and pork, something that can only be done by a curry master!" said Yusuke.

"Time to dig in!" yelped Futaba as she took the first bite. So did the others (except Morgana).

It didn't take long for their realizations.

"Ann, isn't this more spicy than usual" said Ryuji as his urge for water grew.

Ann tried to process the curry "I agree. Ren? What did you put in this?"

Futaba put her plate down as she started gasping for air.

"Wa...Wat..Water!" she shouted as she dashed for the fridge looking for something to drink. "Milk! Thank god!" she started to gulp it down. Thankfully, there were still some left for the others.

"Oi Futaba! Don't hog it all!" gasped Ryuji as he and Ann made a beeline for the fridge.

"Ren? Haru? Makoto? What the hell did you put in this curry?" said Ann as the trio snickered.

"Oh the usual, plus some Cayenne peppers!" snickered Makoto.

"You don't do pranks!" shouted Ryuji between gulps of milk.

"Just this once, Makoto has become a true rebel." smiled Haru as she and the other two slowly enjoyed their curry.

Only Yusuke was unaffected. Despite the spiciness, he continued eating. "It's a waste to throw away such good food. The spiciness is amazing! It truly captures the flame of creativity. Futaba? Ann? Ryuji? If you don't want your curry, can I have yours?"  
  
"Sure..take it..all!" said Ryuji as he panted for air.

"My pleasure" replied Yusuke as he dug in.

Makoto turned to Ren discerningly:"Don't you think it might be too much?"

Ren replied to his girlfriend:"It'll be fine, don't worry!"  
  
A few minutes later once Ryuji, Ann and Futaba were calming down, Yusuke started to look unwell.

"Uh Yusuke, we think you should stop." said Haru.

Yusuke turned to her:"Nonsense! It'll be a wa-"he tried to reply as he suddenly vomited on the floor.

"Oh shit!" said Ryuji.

"Call a doctor!" shouted Makoto.

"I'm calling Dr.Takemi from nearby!" shouted Ren in reply.

Futaba and Haru rushed to Yusuke's side to prevent him from vomiting even more. At the very least, they made sure to get a bucket. Meanwhile, Ryuji went to get a mop to help clean up.

Shortly, Dr.Tae Takemi arrived at the cafe to treat Yusuke. After a few temperature checks and questions which Yusuke replied sickly, she declared that although this was a minor case of vomiting, Yusuke should avoid deep fried and spicy food for a week at least.

"This is gonna cost ya y'know" said Takemi as she stood up and left Yusuke's side.

"I can pay double for the hassle" replied Ren as he got ready to head upstairs to get some yen.

Takemi laughed softly:"I'm kidding Ren, it's on the house. But you've gotta stop making such spicy curry."

Ren laughed a little before looking at Yusuke again:"Yusuke I'm sorr-".

Yusuke cut him off:"It's fine Ren. I wouldn't have been able to witness this kind of cooking if it wasn't for today."  
  
Ann turned to Makoto and asked:"So Makoto, what was in the curry?"  
  


Makoto replied:"Cayenne peppers, Haru grounded them and we mixed it into the sauce."  
  


Just then, Sojiro came back from his errands to see the kids finishing up mopping the mess.

  
"Hey, what happened here?" asked Sojiro as he put his bags down.

Haru replied:"We...tried to make a special curry with Cayenne peppers as a prank, the rest are fine since they finished early but Yusuke kept on going. As such, he vomited so we called Dr.Takemi."

Makoto bowed her head to Sojiro:"I'm sorry Mr.Sakura, it was my idea. Don't blame Ren or Haru, blame me."

Sojiro looked around then laughed:"Cayenne peppers? You still got any of them around?"

Makoto looked up:"Uhh..I think we have some. Why?"

Sojiro:"Can I try making some?"

Makoto looked at Haru then Ren. Ren smiled:"Go ahead."

"Thanks Ren, off to work." said Sojiro as Takemi left the cafe. Yusuke was now lying down upstairs, Ryuji, Ann and Futaba were with him making sure he was ok.

Ren went up to apologise:"Hey guys? I'm really sorry for what happened."

Ryuji laughed a little:"Dude! That was freaking awesome! I didn't know Makoto was a prankster."  
  


Ren smiled:"It was a one time thing."

"Still though" said Futaba as she looked up:"I'm never eating any special curry ever again."


End file.
